Husky hoop decision has some barking

VARSITY

April 27, 2010|Keith Groller

News of Steve Gabryluk's hiring as Dieruff's boys basketball coach has not gone over well with a portion of the Husky community.

The 58-year-old Gabryluk, a former coach at Northampton, Catasauqua and Northwestern, was a surprise choice last week to succeed Tom Stoudt, who was let go after eight seasons in charge of the Huskies.

Most in the local basketball community expected Dieruff to tab Anthony Ross, the school's all-time leading scorer and an assistant coach at Pocono Mountain East, as its new coach.

Ross, who still lives in the Lehigh Valley, had expressed a strong desire to become a head coach and many figured he'd be a perfect fit as someone to work with inner-city kids because he faced similar challenges just a decade ago and overcame them.

Since he didn't get it, there has been a lot of discontent expressed from various members of the community, even from within the school itself.

Two players, Montreal Howard and Robert Allende, have begun a petition among family, friends and fellow students trying to get school officials to reconsider.

''We're just surprised and disappointed Anthony Ross didn't get it,'' Howard said. ''We met him and we knew he had some great plans for us. We were excited about having him as a coach. We thought he was the most qualified to coach us. We're clueless as to why he didn't get it.''

Although he hasn't coached in seven years while an assistant principal at Pennridge, Gabryluk has been a head coach for parts of 15 seasons and was also an assistant at Central Catholic and Liberty.

Ross has only been an assistant coach at Pocono East, after attending Maine Central Prep, Lackawanna Junior College and East Stroudsburg University.

But where Ross seemed to have an edge over any candidate would be in his ability to relate to the Dieruff student-athlete because he has been there, and dealt with many of the same hardships.

''Everyone has problems in life, obstacles and hurdles that they have to overcome,'' Ross told me in January. ''They need some type of guidance and I want to be a part of the guidance in their lives. Too many kids lack guidance.

''If I can get some of these kids to see the possibilities and the things I have seen, nothing would make me happier.''

Pocono Mountain East coach Patrick Heaton believed Ross was ready.

''He relates to adolescence youth in ways that I could never comprehend,'' Heaton wrote in a letter. ''He has lived a life on the streets and survived. He not only survived, he prospered. He is the perfect fit for this situation.''

But school officials obviously disagreed, and many who know Ross and were rooting for him, are dismayed.

Ross, however, doesn't like all of the negativity that has occurred since the school board approved Gabryluk.

''People need to accept the situation,'' he said. ''I have no ill will and wish them nothing but the best. I congratulate Mr. Gabryluk on getting the job. All of this negative energy is no good. It's not what I am about. People need to get behind the new coach and pull together.

''It's a business. I understand that. Obviously they felt that someone else was a better fit and I understand and accept it. I still hope to coach one day. I am still a father to my child and I cherish fatherhood more than anything. I am moving forward and people need to do the same.''

Those comments should tell you how special a young man Ross is and that he will have an outstanding career and make his mark somewhere.

As for Howard, he said he and the team had not met Gabryluk yet.

''We're using the petition to make sure our feelings are heard,'' Howard said. ''We doubt it will overturn their decision. We also had one to bring Coach Stoudt back and that didn't work.

''If [Gabryluk] is our coach, we'll give him a chance. We have nothing against him. I'll stick with it and play my role to the best of my ability.''